Kennedy Krieger Institute/ Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Postdoctoral Fellowship in Behavioral Psychology, Baltimore, MD
Posted: Monday, November 21, 2022The Department of Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland provides assessment and treatment services for a variety of pediatric populations and their families. Our postdoctoral fellowship provides training in empirical research, applied behavior analysis, developmental disabilities, behavioral pediatrics, individual therapy, and family therapy, depending on the training track. The philosophy of our post-doctoral fellowship program is to prepare fellows to function independently in a variety of settings, in addition to working as members of multidisciplinary teams providing health related services to children and their families.
Training occurs through supervised experiences in inpatient hospital units and/or outpatient clinics. Fellows completing our program receive 2,000 fellowship training hours towards licensure and are well qualified to enter clinical, medical, or academic settings. All Kennedy Krieger postdoctoral fellows receive their academic appointments through the Department of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The start of the fellowship training year is September 1, 2023. Our program recognizes the importance of cultural and individual differences and diversity in the training of psychologists, and we welcome and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. View online
Clinics offering one-year fellowships include:
1. Behavior Management Clinic (5 positions)
- Qualified candidates for the Behavior Management Clinic (BMC) fellowship program will have received their doctoral degrees in School, Counseling, or Clinical Psychology and have successfully completed an APA-accredited internship program.
- The Behavior Management Clinic provides outpatient treatment to families and community care providers serving children with common behavior problems, disruptive behavior disorders, and co-morbid disorders. The clinic serves children from 12 months through 12 years of age who present with externalizing and internalizing disorders (e.g., ADHD, disruptive behavior disorders, anxiety disorders, habit disorders, tics, depression, aggression, tantrums, social skills deficits, toileting concerns, sleep difficulties, and school- related issues) and varying functioning levels, including typically developing children as well as youngsters with mild cognitive, speech, and/or motor impairments.
- Trainees are provided advanced training in empirically supported treatments such as, applied behavior analysis (ABA), family based behavioral therapy, behavioral parent training (e.g., Parent Child Interaction Therapy [PCIT]), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and habit- reversal therapy based on the needs of assigned cases. Fellows conduct initial assessments that include clinical interviews, parent questionnaires, and structured observations (e.g., synthesized contingency analysis, DPICS) intended to determine the function of problem behaviors and/or baseline parenting skills and child behaviors. Information gathered through the assessment process is used to collaboratively develop an individualized treatment plan designed to reduce problem behaviors and to increase adaptive skills. Ongoing data tracking is integral to the treatment approach in order to inform treatment direction and to verify outcomes. BMC has an interdisciplinary focus and draws heavily from behavioral/cognitive behavioral approaches to assessment and treatment, with treatment modality dictated by presenting concerns. Common treatment modalities may include behavioral parent training, individual therapy, and/or group therapy, as well as an emphasis on collaboration with a variety of community professionals.
- BMC fellows are encouraged to choose a subspecialty focus for the year and are able to individualize their training experience depending on their specific training goals. Possible individualizations may include the following:
- Supervising psychologists are certified Level 1 Trainers in PCIT, and postdoctoral fellows within the BMC are offered clinical and training opportunities to work towards PCIT certification during their fellowship year.
- Fellows who seek to gain expertise working with the unique needs of military-connected families may have a site assignment that is located near a military installation and serves a large number of military-connected families. Additional training focused on meeting the needs of military-connected youth is also provided.
- Fellows are also offered opportunities to participate in community outreach and clinic marketing efforts by providing presentations/trainings (e.g., daycares, schools, after-care programs, parent and professional groups, and medical staff) and attending local events/conferences.
- Fellows may focus on recruiting and leading group therapy for parents and/or children.
- Fellows may choose to focus on opportunities in building supervisory skills (e.g., peer supervision, trainings to doctoral interns or externs, etc.).
- Fellows may obtain additional assessment experience through conducting brief ADHD diagnostic evaluations.
- Fellows may participate in a research project over the course of the training year.
2. Brief Treatment Clinic (3 positions)
- Qualified candidates for the Brief Treatment Clinic fellowship program will have received their doctoral degrees in school or clinical psychology and have successfully completed an APA- accredited internship program. Additional experience with functional analysis and applied behavior analysis is required for consideration.
- The Behavior Psychology Brief Treatment Clinic provides comprehensive training in functional behavior assessment and function-based treatment approaches with a focus on behavioral parent training. The services offered through Brief Treatment Clinic are determined based on the referral concern, age, and functioning level of the child but the approach in general is Applied Behavior Analytic in orientation.
- Populations treated in this clinic include children referred for a wide range of behavior problems, including both internalizing and externalizing disorders. Clients served range from 2- 18 years of age and include a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. Patient admissions to this clinic are time limited, data-based, and goal-oriented. Treatment is focused on behavior reduction through reinforcement of appropriate behavior.
- The Brief Treatment Clinic has a strong emphasis on caregivers’ active involvement and usually involves behavioral parent training. The brief treatment program uses a structured behavioral parent training treatment approach which focuses on the caregivers as the primary change agent for their child’s behavior. Fellows are provided with advanced training in applied behavior analysis and behavioral parent training to ensure effective and efficient outcomes.
- Specific opportunities for individualization within this fellowship track include:
- Supervision, clinical, and training opportunities needed to obtain BCBA supervision during their fellowship year.
- Opportunities to participate and present at regional and national conferences
- Trainings provided to KKI/Johns Hopkins clinics and departments, as well as community providers (i.e. schools, parent/professional groups, etc.).
- Opportunities to engage in research projects leading to possible co-authorship of manuscripts resulting from ongoing applied research conducted in the Brief Treatment Clinic.
- Opportunities may exist to provide supervision/mentorship through supervision of doctoral interns, externs, and research assistants.
3. Child and Family Therapy Clinic (10 positions)
- Qualified candidates for the Child & Family Therapy (CFT) Clinic Fellowship will have completed an APA-accredited internship with an emphasis in pediatric psychology, family therapy, or child clinical psychology.
- The Child and Family Therapy Clinic (CFT) at Kennedy Krieger Institute provides a postdoctoral fellowship with training focused on the diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of individual and family related treatment goals. These presenting problems include, but are not limited to: anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, fears, phobias, panic, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and impulse-control/executive functioning difficulties, tic disorders, anger- management/aggression, parent-child conflicts, parent-teen communication difficulties, school- related difficulties, adjustment-related concerns, stress management, emotion-regulation difficulties, self-harm, suicidal ideation, poor coping, identity development, and family transition issues. Families may also present with unique stressors surrounding concerns regarding their child or adolescent’s behavior that include divorce/separation, bullying, peer conflict, military deployment, transition to a new environment, or lack of social support.
- CFT postdoctoral fellows enhance their competency and confidence conducting therapy with youth and their families, gain experience utilizing evidenced-based theoretical approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Functional Family Therapy (FFT), and develop their conceptualization skills while utilizing a family therapy framework. CFT postdoctoral fellows will also receive training in specialized approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), as well as experience working with special populations, including military families.
- The CFT postdoctoral training program equips fellows to thrive as well-rounded psychologists in a wide range of mental health and medical/hospital settings. The fellowship, as part of a multi- disciplinary pediatric hospital, is designed to increase both depth and scope of pediatric psychology experiences and clinical skills before fellows embark on independent careers in the field, on a trajectory toward leadership. The fellowship provides advanced in-depth and multifaceted training and experience in the context of a specialized team of clinical psychologists, doctoral interns, pre-doctoral externs, and interdisciplinary colleagues, with emphasis on specific training interests of the fellow (e.g., interest in particular presenting concerns, particular age groups).
- Fellows participate in individual, group, and “tiered” supervision as they provide peer review and mentoring to doctoral externs, doctoral practicum students, and undergraduate practicum students. Additionally, fellows attend numerous training activities, including a variety of CFT clinic didactics focused on applying ACT, CBT, DBT, and FFT orientations to cases, consultation groups for DBT and FFT cases, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) trainings, departmental professional development seminars, and hospital-wide (KKI and JHSOM) presentations.
- Fellows collaborate with a variety of professions at KKI and in the community, present on clinical topics in the clinic and the department, and participate in community outreach activities.
4. Neurobehavioral Inpatient Unit (1 position, primarily research focused)
- The mission of the Neurobehavioral Behavioral Unit (NBU) is to fully integrate clinical service, research, training, and advocacy to achieve the best possible outcomes with the patients we serve, and to benefit the broader community of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have comorbid severe behavior disorders.
- Faculty work with postdoctoral research fellows to develop an individualized training experience based on their specific training goals and previous experiences. Training opportunities include a range of activities including participation in ongoing clinical and translational grant-funded research, grant writing, data analysis, manuscript preparation, development and execution of clinical and research protocols. Although these research projects are largely behavior analytic, our faculty direct and support KKI’s Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC) behavior core leading to collaborations with colleagues in other disciplines, including neurology and genetics. Fellows are encouraged and provided the opportunity to attend and/or present research data at local and national conferences.
- Fellows also have the opportunity to participate in a range of training experiences including clinical services, supervision, administrative activities, and community advocacy and education that are representative of the mission of the Neurobehavioral Programs.
5. Neurobehavioral Unit Outpatient Clinic (6 positions)
- Qualified applicants must have a doctorate in Professional Psychology from an APA-accredited program, in addition to having experience with individuals with intellectual disability and severe behavior disorders.
- The Neurobehavioral Unit Outpatient (NBU-OP) Clinic provides a continuum of care for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities who display severe destructive behavior such as self-injury, aggression, property destruction, pica, elopement and dangerous acts. The continuum of care includes day treatment, intensive outpatient, follow-up, and consultation services. The NBU-OP Clinic utilizes a data-driven approach to assessment and treatment based on an evidence-based applied behavior analysis model. Each client participates in a series of intensive assessments, including functional analyses and reinforcer assessments. Based on assessment results, individualized behavioral interventions are developed and systematically evaluated to determine their effectiveness in decreasing severe problem behaviors and increasing appropriate replacement behavior. Critical components of our treatment approach are collaboration with the client’s family and service providers, and provision of ongoing training.
- Postdoctoral fellows have the opportunity to participate in a range of training experiences including clinical services, clinical research, supervision, administrative activities, and community advocacy and education that are representative of the mission of the Neurobehavioral Programs. Emphasis is placed on developing an individualized training opportunity with participation in the above listed activities being based on the specific training goals and previous experience of the fellow. Fellows will have protected time to engage in research and professional development activities under the guidance of the program director. Fellows are also provided the opportunity to attend and/or present research data at local and national conferences.
- Clinical Services include:
- Conducting behavioral assessments and treatment evaluations
- Providing education and training to parents and providers
- Providing services in the home, school, and community
- Clinical Research may involve:
- Developing and implementing clinically relevant research protocols
- Participating in ongoing research studies
- Assisting with grant writing and data collection for large scale studies
- Supervision duties may include:
- Training practicum students and providing direct feedback and supervision as needed
- Assisting with clinical case supervision
- Administrative activities may include:
- Participating in the screening process of potential NBU admissions
- Attending and participating in meetings with the NBU interdisciplinary team
- Assisting with requesting authorization for inpatient and/or outpatient behavioral services
- Community Advocacy and Education may include:
- Collaboration with KKI and community-based advocacy groups
- Consultation with schools, local agencies, and residential programs
6. Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic (5 positions)
- Qualified candidates for the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic (PDD) fellowship program will have received their doctoral degrees in School, Counseling, or Clinical Psychology and have successfully completed an APA-accredited internship program.
- The goal of the fellowship in the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities (PDD) Clinic is to enhance training for future psychologists in behavioral assessment and intervention for toddlers, children, and adolescents with diagnosed or suspected neurodevelopmental disorders who also have challenging behaviors. Postdoctoral fellows will receive training in behavioral assessment and intervention via didactic instruction and supervised and independent practice. Postdoctoral fellows will develop a broad array of relevant clinical skills, which will prepare them to apply for jobs within the field of neurodevelopmental disorders.
- Postdoctoral fellows will have a full year of training in the PDD Clinic. They will also have the option of participating in a minor rotation described below to further individualize their training specialization. Positions in each minor rotation are limited and will be determined by candidate interests, availability, and training background. One day per week will be devoted to activities in minor rotations.
- Clinical Experiences in PDD Clinic:
- Externalizing behavior challenges: Common target behaviors include tantrums, aggression, elopement, toileting skills deficits, and sleep concerns. Primary intervention is provided through behavioral parent training to implement interventions in the home and community.
- Anxiety and internalizing behaviors: Comorbid internalizing disorders, occur frequently in our patient population (e.g., GAD, specific phobias, social anxiety, selective mutism, OCD, and cognitive inflexibility). Fellows will learn to use interventions, such as modified CBT, elements of the SPACE program (i.e., decreasing parental accommodation), and components of ACT when working with anxious youth and parents. Fellows will receive specialized training via didactics, workshop, and supervised experiences.
- In treating children with both externalizing and internalizing disorders, traumatic histories may require additional attention. Postdoctoral fellows will receive didactic training in trauma-informed care.
- Group skills therapy:
- Social skills and flexibility training.
- Sports-based social skills
- Spanish-speaking parent groups
- Additional training activities: To prepare fellows as future supervisors, they will be able to participate in several activities. This will include: (1) didactic training via a workshop (live or via video), (2) shadowing supervisors, (3) providing direct individual supervision to Doctoral Interns in collaboration with a licensed psychologist, (4) providing feedback to interns to improve their supervisory skills.
- Minor Rotation Options (1 day per week):
- Minor rotation-Assessment/Treatment of Feeding Disorders: Behavioral Psychology Department - Feeding Clinic (full year)
- Minor rotation - Assessment: Executive Functioning Deficits and ADOS-2 Training (One six-month rotation with each assessment experience)
- Minor rotation- Pediatric Interdisciplinary Clinic (full year)
7. Pediatric Feeding Disorders (3 positions)
- There is a strong emphasis on post-doctoral fellows gaining experience with different levels of feeding services, with in-person and telehealth modalities, and with interdisciplinary collaboration. The medical and behavioral diagnoses of children referred to the program’s continuum vary widely, including children whose mealtime behavior is a result of one or more environmental, anatomical, and physiological variables. Goals commonly targeted during treatment include increasing the variety of foods accepted, increasing the volume consumed, decreasing tube dependence, advancing food textures, increasing mealtime independence, improving feeding skills, and reducing inappropriate mealtime behavior (e.g., disruptive behavior, gagging, aggressive behavior, out-of-seat behavior). Additionally, post-doctoral fellows are strongly encouraged to contribute to program development through involvement with ongoing or independent research and/or clinical program evaluation. Services are provided along a continuum of care including interdisciplinary intake evaluations, outpatient services, and intensive services (daily outpatient, day treatment, and inpatient).
- Conducting Interdisciplinary Intake Evaluations one to two afternoons per week provides to diagnose feeding disorders and provide service recommendations in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team.
- The Pediatric Feeding Disorders Outpatient Services offers the opportunity for post- doctoral fellows to assess and treat children with less severe feeding issues in an outpatient setting. Caregivers are trained to implement specific strategies to address the feeding-related concerns.
- The Pediatric Feeding Disorders Intensive Services offers the opportunity for post- doctoral fellows to clinically manage intensive cases by providing supervision and oversight of one or more patients within an intensive program spanning several weeks. Specifically, the post-doctoral fellow will initially serve as a co-supervisor (along with faculty) of intensive cases with the expectation that the post-doctoral fellow will supervise more independently as they gain experience and confidence in the role of supervisor. The fellow will assume the clinical responsibility for team collaboration with interdisciplinary team members and caregivers throughout the intensive admission.
- Postdoctoral fellows in the Pediatric Feeding Disorders Clinic also have the option to complete a minor rotation in the Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Fellows completing this minor rotation will receive training one day per week throughout the year focused on the behavioral assessment and intervention for toddlers, children, and adolescents with diagnosed or suspected neurodevelopmental disorders who also have challenging behaviors. They will assume the role as primary therapists for their clients and families.
8. Pediatric Psychology Clinic and Consultation Service (1-2 positions)
- Successful applicants must have completed an APA-accredited internship with an emphasis in pediatric psychology.
- Postdoctoral fellows will gain experience in staffing inpatient C/L, interdisciplinary medical clinics, and outpatient pediatric psychology care.
- The Pediatric Psychology Clinic and Consultation Service (PPCS) fellowship training program is designed to increase both depth and scope in the context of a busy and specialized team of pediatric psychologists, doctoral interns, and interdisciplinary colleagues, with attention paid to the special training interests and needs of the fellow (i.e., interest in particular patient populations, settings, units, clinics, etc.). It prepares postdoctoral fellows to function as psychologists in a wide range of health care settings and across a treatment continuum including: the acute medical hospital (e.g., PICU, school-aged and adolescent units), pediatric medical subspecialty clinics, and the outpatient clinic. Additionally, fellows have the opportunity to attend numerous training activities, including PPCS team didactics, departmental professional development seminars, departmental Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (EDI) seminars, and hospital-wide (KKI and JHSOM) presentations.
- Primary components of this training position include:
- Providing inpatient consultation-liaison services to Johns Hopkins Hospital (acute medical), assisting faculty psychologists with administrative duties, and scaffolded supervision of psychology doctoral interns.
- Providing pediatric psychology services in at least 2 interdisciplinary medical clinics.
- Based on the fellow’s interest, clinic options could include: Headache Clinic, Sickle Cell Disease Clinic, Limb Differences Clinic, Sleep Clinic (Pulmonary or Neurology), Diabetes Clinic, POTS Clinic, Bone Clinic, Pain Clinic, Rehabilitation Clinic, or Concussion Clinic.
- Additional opportunities in COVID Clinic may be available.
- Providing outpatient therapy services in the Pediatric Psychology Outpatient Clinic to pediatric patients presenting with a variety of medically-based referrals, including children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and comorbid medical concerns.
- Common referrals include desensitization and behavioral training for medical procedures, behavioral pain management, coping with new diagnoses, improving regimen adherence and disease self-management (i.e., SCD, CF, diabetes), behavioral sleep management, mental health conditions (i.e., depression, anxiety) impacting medical conditions, and shaping functional behavior in child and adolescent rehabilitation patients. Caseload would be divided between the main hospital campus and a satellite clinic in Columbia, Maryland (located between Baltimore and Washington DC). Opportunities for outpatient caseload specialization in chronic pain, POTS, rehabilitation, neurodevelopmental disorders with comorbid medical concerns, and/or sleep are available, pending fellow interest.
- Developing an emerging leadership role in an assigned pediatric subspecialty clinic (e.g., coordination of psychology services & referrals, consultation regarding inpatient admissions, liaison to medical providers and interdisciplinary team, administrative duties, mentoring of psychology doctoral interns).
- Secondary components of this training position include:
- Assisting with the training of doctoral interns (e.g., didactic presentations, scaffolded supervision, peer supervision, participation in group rounds).
- Optional components of this training position, based on interest, could include:
- Participating in current pediatric psychology research projects.
- Providing inpatient consultation-liaison services to the Kennedy Krieger Institute pediatric neurorehabilitation unit and assisting faculty psychologists with administrative duties and mentoring of psychology doctoral interns
- Training in and subsequently co-facilitating the Comfort Ability Program, a CBT-based workshop for youth with chronic pain and their caregivers.
9. Program Evaluation/ Clinical Outcomes (Research Position; 1 position)
- Qualified candidates for the Clinical Outcomes fellowship will have received their doctoral degree in Psychology, Behavior Analysis, or Education, and will have experience and interest in Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Clinical Outcomes is a division of the Department of Behavioral Psychology that is focused on program evaluation across the department with the mission of improving the quality of provided services. The team consists of psychologists, behavior analysts, public health consultants, and computer scientists. Using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis as a guide, the Clinical Outcomes team works with clinical programs within the department to assess, evaluate, and improve outcomes for clients. In addition, Clinical Outcomes conducts program evaluation research and collaborates with faculty on program evaluation projects. Example projects include development and testing of clinical protocols, evaluation and comparison of treatment formats (e.g., in-person vs. telehealth; daily vs. weekly appointments), improving documentation of clinical outcome metrics, and development and evaluation of digital treatment resources.
- Clinical Outcomes supervisors work with each fellow to create an individualized training experience. Fellows will have the opportunity to train within an interdisciplinary team in a variety of contexts including providing supervision of program staff and conducting program evaluation. In addition, fellows are provided with the opportunity to attend and/or present research at local and national conferences.
- Training Experiences include:
- Provision of Supervision:
- Training and overseeing activities of practicum students
- Supervising research assistants
- Participate in staff and parent training
- Program Evaluation:
- Collecting and analyzing data for ongoing program evaluation projects
- Proposing and developing new program evaluation projects
- Working with clinicians to identify areas for improvement for both client outcomes and daily operations
- Communicating project results to Clinical Outcome team and program directors
- Sharing project results as appropriate at local and national conferences
- Administrative Activities:
- Participating in regular departmental meetings
- Assisting with development of procedures for daily operations of the department
Applications are due December 15, 2022, although we encourage applicants to apply earlier as applications are reviewed as they are received. Materials include a cover letter, CV, degree verification form (see Behavioral Psychology website link for copy of letter template and additional information), 3 letters of reference, and original transcript. You are welcome to apply to more than one clinic, but please specify your preference in your cover letter. Applicants may apply through APPA CAS or may submit materials via email to [email protected].
Interviews will take place virtually in December & January, and offers will be extended in early February. We will be following the APPIC Common Hold Date guidelines.